Dad's Beard

After 11 years of marriage, Teresa finally talked me into trying to grow a beard. It's driving me nuts, and I don't really think it's me at all, but I thought you'd like to see......cause it may be the last time ever. I'll give it a few more weeks, but it's likely gone by the new year. You can see a few points of grey on the sides of my chin, which I think give it some character. (I was tickling Katie, cause she was wanting to make cross-eyed faces.)

Christmas is Coming

We're not yet getting fat. Kt and Mc hangin' wit Santa at the ward Christmas par-tay. Getting the tree in the house. Oh, it smells so excellent and Christmasey. Missy's first Christmas with a real tree. She seems fairly unimpressed so far, but I'm sure the cats will set up camp under there before too long.

Hummingbirds

For some reason, our front yard has become hummingbird central lately. We'll get 5-6 of them at a time fighting for rights to access to the feeders (which have stayed fairly unused for the last few months). They're hard to capture well on film, but these are ok. And finally, Mac wearing his Wes Welker jersey while watching the New England Patriots game.

Thanksgiving 7

The final pics from the Thanksgiving trip. The kids all (trying to) pose on the stairs. Sun through the fir trees. The Washington Hartsells and the Oregon Hartsells. Mountain Hood from a distance in the low clouds. An excellent end to an weekend....just wish we could have stayed there the rest of the year!

Thanksgiving 6

Dallin, Mac (bodysled), Katie sledding. Brian and Kae. Jarom.

Thanksgiving 5

Tyrene and Brian by the fire, the kids again, this time in motion, the moonlight over the fir trees, Eliza eating snow, Katie sledding.

Thanksgiving 4

It didn't snow until about 9am this morning. We got everyone out the door by 11am to go tubing....those pics later. The view from the top deck (of 4 decks) out the front, Teresa and Missy coming back from a walk, the boys playing Playstation, the neighbor's Christmas lights, Ang and Nate by the fire.

Thanksgiving 3

Nate stuffing the bird and Angela creating the stuffing, which turned out excellent.


The bird, after a 24 hour bourbon bath, was also excellent.

The kids.

Thanksgiving 2

Eliza and Katie played together in the snow almost all afternoon.

After playing in the snow, all the kids hung out in the loft watching Inspector Gadget.

Except for Vince, who was having adult conversation downstairs and working on some writing.

Thanksgiving One

I'm gonna try to get pics up as soon as I can so Mom and Dad can see what the kids are up to. Outside and inside view of the chalet we're staying at. The snow girls Elise, Katie, and Eliza, then Angela and Vince, and finally Tyrene finishing up making a pie.

Minus Tide Two

Mussels, a sea anemone, barnacles, and a huge pile of driftwood.

Minus Tide

Occasionally here on the coast we get a minus tide. The best ones happen in the winter, although often in the dark. We don't often get a minus tide (when the tide reading is below zero/sea level) during daylight hours, so when this one showed up, we went down for some pics and exploring of the tide pools and reefs. A few pics of the seastars and one of the exposed reefs.

Swimmers

Mac and Katie just completed Level 3 of their swim lessons. They've even started learning the butterfly. Mac gets to try out for swim team next! They've come a long way in a short time, and are probably better swimmers than their Dad was at their ages!